The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-04-16
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Old SETTLERS.
SARAH EDWARDS HESSHA ".

Old SETTLERS.
SARAH EDWARDS HESSHAW.
| Ottaoa as She Fouud little Family that
| Catae-i Briddl Party looking up
Home at Hap.hdzar6-A Re
yorter's Itee Of tie NaHer
Slightly Cioaded-Pd-
yeatage anil School
Days.
Mans home is everywhere. :
II is not thus with woman. The far halls
Where first her pleased gar, drank Il nursing
mothers tone
bed,
The valley where with playmates true
The bower where Love her timid footsteps led
irha la.nriistone xnere .'--s
Affection with unfading tint recalls.
l.. II. =.
That "bower," 50 to speak, was Ottawa
1919, and to imagine that anybody IN this
Year of grace would think of it and OF that
day, lS49, as "the far of long ago
Yet in time since lapsed, every fine dwell
ling and business block in Ottawa has been
built. Successive waves ofpioneer populations
have filled all intervening space between
the Mississippi and the Pacific coast. Texas
and California, Just then having gained re
copnition and been annexed, as foreign terri
tory have now become to this then ne"
west places of winter resort, the vinyhrds
and gardens of our tropical fruits ana now
ers atiluent in cultured homes with dense
Foundations living quietly under the stars
and stripes, as though it had always been
so. Forty years
AT that time there were possibly two oil
,hree-not large--brck buildings ON tho
public square in Ottawa. "Ihe grea
,horoughtare," the Illinois and Michigan
canal was open, and the packet norm a.
morning and evening, gave no '"hcer'aii
sound" The apple stand, the sidewalk
the public school building, were not on 'h'
"road to progress in those days. Othe'
things we're, however, Various representa-
,ives Of the animal creation, for instance
having "the freedom of the city with al
easy familiarity suggestive OF mo place
like home"
This period, though primitive, was no
,the age Of homespun," nor day of breath
less, deadly hurry, with fears OF "oeih'
late" No six o'clock, seven clock, tweiV
clock whistle aggravated the family 'Jars'
1t was not necessary to be continually tor
mented with hint that something wa
,.yojng on" The day began and ended
bless the Lord with a gentlemanly, leisure
" ouiet. The poet had not even heard
"The changing bells of time
The reporter, that curse Of domestic On
social seclusions and intimacies, had no
I come down from the Prince Of the power
the ar to bulletin family secrets in tn
market place. Had he been here on tina
. fine autumn day, in the year aforesaid, n
would very likely have spread himself o
this wise
There arrived in this town to-day anothe
emigrant family, less than ten weeks on tn
, road, from the city of Harrisburg, Pa Nj
- Edward c. Henshaw and wife, and the ~
> dicious' mother.in.law, Mrs. Tyler. In
. young couple, we are happy to say, are on
bridal tour, with view TO permanent res
idence Band box and bundles and here
= stay.
"On making known our errand We wei
y, accorded an interview. We learn that the
first impressions Of Ottawa are cheerfn
They rather admired the freeness and oril
inality of the various styles of architectui
\ here, and that so many seemed to pref
to use the native woods implanted, and
o their natural color. The grain and hue
r the ash, oak and butternut blending, gave
4 sense Of toughness and durability. The GU
q ling black walnut shingles we're novelty
II them. They thought that roofing OF tn
- kind would puzzle the rain to get throug